How to Build a Vintage Country Chic Lemonade Stand

INTRODUCTION:

Summer is here – and one of the best things about summer is freshly squeezed lemonade! When I was a kid we had a lemonade stand and I would sell it to the neighbors and kids down the street. Sadly, our sales were never that great because we had to constantly “taste test” the lemonade to make sure it was still sweet. This resulted in us drinking away most of our potential earnings. As a kid I remember how much fun it was to have a business of my own. I loved owning the entire production and distribution of the lemonade. Well, this summer I want my kids to have that same experience so I decided I would build them the best vintage chic lemonade stand ever created!

Vintage Country Chic Lemonade Stand | Woodworking

In this woodworking blog post I will show you how you can build your very own DIY vintage country chic lemonade stand using materials you can find at your local hardware store. This lemonade stand will be unlike any other lemonade stand you have ever seen because it will fold flat for storing away in the winter months. Be sure to watch the How to Build a Vintage Country Chic Lemonade Stand YouTube video and don’t forget to subscribe. If you are feeling extra generous please support me on Patreon so I can live out my childhood dream.

DIRECTIONS:

Step 2 – Go to your local hardware store and purchase the materials and supplies listed in the above Materials list.

Step 3 – Pick out your wood. The secret here is to buy the roughest wood you can find, you want it to look worn.

Step 4 – Cut the boards to size.

Cutting rough sawn lumber for a lemonade stand

Step 5 – I used Rustoleum spray paint and painted the wood yellow and white.

Step 6 – After the paint has dried, you will need to seal it with a Polyurethane or clear coat. This will seal the paint from soaking up the aging paint that you will be applying in step 8.

Spray painting the lemonade stand yellow

Step 7 – Sand the entire board using a low grit sand paper. I would use nothing higher than a 60 grit. Make sure to sand the high spots as well as all the edges and corners. The more you sand, the older it looks.

Step 8 – Once you have the look you want it is now time to apply the aging coat. I went with a gray color and diluted it with water until it looked the way I wanted it. You can always darken it by adding black or brown, and it will take time for you to get it the way you want. Just know the more concentration that you have in your mixture the darker the aging coat will be. Be sure to use a scrap piece of wood to test everything on.

Step 9 – Apply the diluted mixture with a brush to all the sanded areas. Once it is applied, wipe it off with a paint rag. The longer you let the weathering mixture stay on the wood, the darker it will stain.

Applying a rustic weathering mixture to the lemonade stand

Step 10 – Assemble all 4 panels (Front, left/right sides and top to the frame using nails or a nail gun.

Step 11 – Install the hinges.

Lemonade stand hinges

Step 12 – Attach the top to the base and slide in the sign poles.

Step 13 – Attach the Lemonade sign.

Hand drawn lemonade sign

Step 14 – Make some lemonade and enjoy your hard work.

Vintage lemonade glass dispenser

The Vintage Chic Lemonade Stand build instructions and blueprints can be downloaded on my Etsy shop. If you don't feel like building a lemonade stand you can always custom order one on my Etsy store. If you are a $10 level Patreon supporter you get these build instructions for free.

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Conclusion:

Congratulations, you built your very first vintage chic lemonade stand! I hope you had fun building this project and that you and your children will love it for years to come. This lemonade stand is unique in that it can fold flat and be stored away during the off season. Please be sure to check out the other videos and blog posts and the many other amazing projects. If you have any questions please leave your comments at the end of this blog and be sure to follow me on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Happy Building!